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We need a "Like" button Answered

I think Instructables is missing a "Like" button. There are many Instructables I see that I would want to "Like". I know there is a favorite button, but I only use that to "Tag" the Instructable, so if there is something I wanna learn I can easily go back.

Not everyone wants to favorite a post, due to the fact they might use it for the same purpose I do. But if we had a like button at least the creator might get more of a response on how many people actually "Liked" the Instructable.

+1 for this. I 100% agree with the author on this (even if it was over 4 years ago). And with Southpaw69. I could understand not putting a "Dislike" feature (not that it is without value), but for me "Favorite" is for something I'd want to do or learn from in the future. I won't "Favorite" an Instructable if I admire the project, but have no interest whatsoever in pursuing it or looking at it again. "Like" would show you simply admire something, even if it isn't down your alley.

I don't agree with a comment being a substitute. If I'm willing to spend time commenting on a post, I'm probably already marking it at favorite. If I don't like it enough to favorite, then I'm not commited enough to want to comment. And if I was willing to comment beforehand, then a Like button wasn't going to fulfill me anyways. They have different purposes.

I did see interesting the "Good job" (or even a "Kudos") button instead of "Like", but the wording is a minor issue regardless.

The only good argument in my opinion is that "Likes" would lead to far fewer Favorites, but without testing in the real world it's hard to know. I really wish this was beta tested or something like that, just to see what users (and not only moderators and editors) think.

Anyway, I just wanted to show that there are still people out there interested in a feature like this.

Everyone will have their own opinion on this, but personally I don't feel the need for a 'Like' button, I find the concept rather meaningless. Facebook uses the 'Like' feature as part of its monetizing business model, it's also another way of harvesting data, so not for me!

I'll admit that I can see why the idea has some merit, I'm just not convinced it's necessary.

When I posted my Pokeball project on Facebook I got a couple of hundred likes in the first week or so, but the 10 or so comments I got here on Instructables meant so much more! Likes are handed out like confetti, hence why they are meaningless.

If I truly like something I will post a comment saying as much, maybe I'm old school in my thinking, but I prefer the personal touch.

Not everyone needs to make a comment. It's time consuming, and nobody wants to spend several minutes reading the comments just to find out the post is of low quality or value. It also clogs up the comments with tons of "nice" or "awesome" posts that add nothing of real value. The amount of time spent on creating the 'ible is irrelevant. What if we don't want to spend several minutes reading it only to find that in the end, it was a waste of time. If it simply doesn't work, or is of terrible quality, we'd like to know up front. Our time has value too.

If you like a project, it's far more meaningful to take a few seconds to actually say so than it is to just click a button and move on. After all, you are expressing an opinion on something that may have taken months of the author's life to achieve, not just a witty comment on a Lolcat picture.

The preference for comments over Like buttons is one of the things that makes Instructables much more of a genuine community than other sites that measure the value of a posting in the number of interactions ("Like" clicks) it generates, rather than in the quality of those interactions.

Personally, I'd take one typed compliment over dozens of Like clicks. In fact, although I use YouTube to include videos in some of my projects, I never go to my channel to check the likes and dislikes.

I agree with you, 1 comment is worth a lot more that any number of likes. If only when people leave a page a little pop up reminder could remind people that if they liked the project to leave a comment before moving on.....I know this would inconvenience most of us.....maybe there's another way?

Haha! For a second there I had the impulse to "like" your comment. Ugh.

I agree, it is way more meaningful to the author if you comment on their work. I am disappointed, most of my Instructables have a handful of views (over 1000), but very few comments. I don't understand.

I love getting feedback on my work. Suggestions, compliments, stuff that's bad, whatever. It lets me know that those viewing my work are alive, not just aimlessly clicking around on the site.

I don't know why when someone even mentions the concept of "Like" they have to reference stupid Facebook. There are many sites that had the so called "Like" button before Facebook was ever made.

Many people just don't post comments. I have seen Instructables that people have Favorite without 1 single comment, or even one comment saying Thank You, or Good Job. If you don't like the concept of calling it a "Like" button you can always change it to a "Good Job" button. That aside I always comment on the Instructables I like and will continue to do so, but would of thought that people could express there opinions as well by saying they have liked it. You can get 2000 view, 40 Favorites and not one comment saying anyone liked it.

For new members posting an Instructable and seeing that people have "Liked" or "Good Job" there Instructable it gives them motivation and gratification to produce more Instructables. That people did like the post, even if there where no comments. Sometimes it is faster to click a button than to post a comment.

We mention FB because they brought it to the world's attention. The vast majority of sites with a Like button do so to be similar to FB.

"Sometimes it is faster to click a button than to post a comment."

That's my point. My last three big projects took, between them, about two months to make, and longer in the planning and preparation. They have, between them, about 80 comments from readers. I know this off the top of my head, but I have no idea how many "favourites" or views they have (~820 & ~160k respdctively) without checking, because that means much less. To me than the effort required, even for a simple "nice".

You'll find that, if you ask other "power users" directly, they will largely agree. Views and favourites are nice, but feedback is important.